Symphony of the Night
by AphoticTrance
Summary: He did it. He had escaped five whole nights, and with his life. He survived through it all, despite the odds. Though he was fired from the job for doing so, he couldn't complain. At least he could live to see another day. But as his unforgettable past soon catches up with him, he begins to wonder if living through it all was truly worth it. -Oneshot-


Symphony of the Night

Mike's eyes wandered from the man sitting across from him, his eyes staring vacantly into nothing as his mind sunk into his thoughts. The man across began to speak, but it was to no avail as whatever was received, his brain blurred everything out. His speech was nothing but unintelligible slurs. His mind could still hear the screams, those terrible screams.

"Mike? Mike!"

His thoughts shattered away, and his attention settled back onto his shrink, Dr. Summers. Which looked upon Mike with growing confusion and concern.

"Are you alright? What happened there?" Summers asked. Putting down his pen unto his papers.

Mike shifted uncomfortably in his seat, it was happening again. He didn't respond to Summers as terrible surge of sickness overcame him. He gripped the arms of the leather chair and leaned forward, beginning to sweat.

"Michael?"

He blinked, trying to maintain composure. He leaned back, focusing onto Dr. Summers once more.

"Sorry, doc. I-I just...got lost there..."

An empty silence ensued soon after as they both exchanged glances. Dr. Summers slightly nodded, clearing out his throat.

"Okay...uh, continue, please..."

Mike paused for moment, lacing his hands together as he recalled his last statement.

"Right...afterwards, they gave me a note...uh, the notice of termination, so they called it. And...basically, they fired me for, bullshit reasoning..."

Dr. Summers nodded, continuing to listen to Mike.

"And...I, I still see their faces. Every night, I hear their laughs, their screams, their melodies. I relive it all, each and every night. I wake up screaming, sweating..." Mike finished, staring off.

Summers nodded slightly again, acknowledging his patient's last statement. He began to scrawl something down on his clipboard, and then turning to speak to him.

"You still see them? The animatronics?"

"Yes..."

"You say they attacked you? Each night growing more ferocious than the last?"

"Yes, I-I said that..."

"Hmm...well, evidence claims that nothing occurred...Cameras saw nothing, and there was nothing that ever touched those nights..."

Mike stared at Summers with unbelief, almost agitated that he would dare say that nothing occurred, when he wasn't the one who was there.

"What? What do you mean? I was there, I saw what happened, doc."

"That's just the thing, you were the only one...no one else can say anything."

Mike shook his head, and sighed. Giving up on telling anything more. A silence was held between the two, until Dr. Summers cleared his throat, and began to speak.

"Well, as for your lack of sleep, continue with the medication. You should see better results within the next few days. The nightmares, however, I can't help..."

Mike didn't respond, he was far too enraged to. He couldn't believe it, he went through hell, to stay alive in that nightmare. Yet, after going through it all, everyone who looked upon him as he told his story, rose their eyebrows in skepticism. And he couldn't do anything to prove what he saw was true. Not even his own family.

He rose unto his feet, beginning to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going? We still have-" Summers began to question.

But Mike had already opened the door and slammed it shut. Leaving Dr. Summers to himself in an uncomfortable silence.

He exited the building, and entered a world of gloom. Gray skies blotted out the sun, and rain threatened those beneath it would fall. And a brisk, cold wind soon embraced his exposed skin.

However, Mike pulled a hood over his head, dug his hands into his pockets and sauntered home in relative silence. As he continued, a light rain began tapping the surface of the earth. Slightly dampening his clothes and his surroundings. As it showered, he lifted his eyes from the sullen concrete, noticing the elements around him.

He noticed that as it rained, the colors that filled the environment became more prominent. Being complimented from the gray world which surrounded.

At this, he felt a small twinge of enjoyment as he walked within that moment. It took his mind from his troubles for just an instant, however, long enough for him to enjoy. But it soon crumbled away. Ultimately forgotten and thrown away as he continued on walking in the rain.

Mike opened the door to his apartment, the dim light spilling into the sullen interior as he entered. He then closed the door behind him, switching on the lights which illuminated the room. The main room was littered with trash, with an old sofa placed in front of a small television, and unfinished takeout sitting on the floor. Growing older as the days past.

His eyes flitted around the room, it was unappealing at best, however, he lacked the will to do anything about it. He dropped the prescription pills on his kitchen table as he walked towards the fridge to select a chilled beer.

After closing it, he sauntered to the sofa and eased into it. Opening the can and tipping it to his lips. The alcohol running smoothly down as he swallowed a relatively large portion of the can's contents. He then grasped the remote from it's usual place, and with a press of a button, the television screen soon flicked to life. He put down the remote, taking another swig from the can as his eyes soon glued to the images which played on the screen.

It wasn't the most riveting activity, he admitted. However, it helped clear his mind, and keep it from venturing into the darkness. So he sat there for hours, vacantly watching the television as it drained his life away. Though, he knew, that each passing minute brought him closer to torment.

He blinked, becoming slightly active once again. After rubbing his eyes, he looked around the room. It grew dark as the sky blackened in the night. The only source of light came from his TV, which still continued playing a documentary of animals as his attention broke away from it.

He let loose a sigh, then combed his fingers through his head of unkempt locks. He set down an empty can, his fourth one in a row, and rose unto his feet. Stretching his tired muscles, he prepped for the night. Turning off the television, and entering his kitchen, he leaned unto the counter, his eyes staring at the small plastic bag which contained his pills.

He then reached over to it, opening the small bag and pulling out the container of pills. For a few moments, he eyed the plastic bottle as the pills chattered with the movement with his hand. Filled with doubt, he loosened the lid of the container and swallowed one of the pills. It slid uncomfortably down his throat before continuing down his esophagus.

After ingesting it, he sealed the container and indifferently dropped it back on the counter top, withdrawing from the kitchen and entering his bedroom.

He removed his shoes, then sank into his bed. As he lied there, his eyes closed, already his mind showed brief images of terror. He'd shaken them away from his mind, but he knew more were to come.

But, he abstained from delving into the depths of his mind, and focused on falling asleep. However, it was simpler said then done. He tossed and turned for hours, his mind continuously wandering to different areas, causing him to sink into a pensive state, And often, he wouldn't realize his mind had wandered until minutes later, where he then shook his thoughts away and continued trying to sleep.

Mike then adjusted once more, trying to find another comfortable spot. But as it quieted down once more, he could hear faint, resonating footsteps.

He listened, the sounds seemed as if to come from the hall that lead into the main room. He could hear the metallic feet sink into his carpet. Then a soft, child's tune began erupting from the main room. As the sound reach his ear drums, his eyes opened. And adrenaline surged through his veins as his heart rate quickened.

The melody began to gradually increase in volume, as the metallic being took daunting steps forward. Mike then held his breath, squeezing his eyes shut.

"It's not..real." He whispered to himself.

His breathing patterns beginning to tremble as fear gripped his heart.

"It's...not...real..."

The door opened, and the melody playing cut off abruptly. Mike kept his eyes shut for a few moments, before opening them once more.

But doing so, across the room was a suit, sitting limp up against the wall. His muscles seized from moving as the suit's opened areas leaked blood. The opened mouth containing shattered and bloodied teeth, and with eyes that dangled from their sockets.

"It was me..." Whispers began to float around him.

"It was always me..." Then, the horrid screech could be heard. The child screaming as it lost it's life.

Mike clawed at his scalp, screaming as he writhed in his bed. His screams died as he sat up from his bed, beginning to hyperventilate.

He was still suspended within the darkness, he glanced over at his clock. Which in neon green numbers, showed it was 3:20. He sighed, the buried his face into his palms. It was over.

* * *

The sun peeked over the horizon, the sky a mixture of early morning colors. Sunlight began to creep into Mike's apartment from his windows. He sat on his sofa, the TV was off, and he had nothing in his hands. His mind was vacant, and his eyes blank. Eleven days now.

His skin was an unhealthy pale, revealing he was malnourished as he no longer cared for his health. His eyes slightly sunk within their sockets as dark bags hung underneath them. Sleep was something that was no longer thought of, the night terrors had grown worse each night. Keeping him awake for hours on end.

Mike then became alive once more. His eyes blinked as they began to flit around the room. He inhaled a pocket of air, and let it loose as he soon realized his surroundings. He shifted around, and looked around the room.

After doing so, he took time to notice the extent of which he'd fallen from health. His fingernails grew excessively long, and dirt had settled underneath them. His stomach was empty, but called for no food.

And he hadn't known the last time he drank anything, he'd hoped recently enough. After a few moments, he gradually rose. His bones popping while doing so. He hadn't known how long he'd been sitting there, he knew it was quite some time.

He stretched out his relaxed muscles, then went wherever his mind brought him. He first looked in his refrigerator, finding nothing that he wanted. Then into the bathroom, where he splashed water on his face, and stared at the individual he found in the mirror. He stared into the stranger's eyes, not even recognizing himself anymore. His teeth grated against each other, and his hands clenched into a fist as he continued observing at the face who he grew to despise.

Soon, his closed fist then drove into the mirror with immense force behind it. Shattering the glass as the shards fell to the tiles.

His knuckles began to bleed as they tore against the glass, the small rivers of red running down his fingers as he retracted his arm. He then gripped the sink, his arms trembling.

' _No one. Believes you.'_

Mike squeezed his eyes shut.

' _They all think it was you...'_

As his hands clenched, the open cuts on his knuckles stretched, beginning to tear even more as blood gushed out.

' _Everything you told them, was a lie. That your word cannot be heeded, as you lost your mind long ago...'_

Tears began to well within his closed eyes. His throat holding a lump he could no longer swallow.

' _It was you...It was always you...'_

"No! No! It wasn't me!" He screamed.

' _Yes it was...you imagined everything you saw...'_

"No! It was real! I saw everything! I'm not lying!" He continued.

' _Did you?'_

"Yes!...yes...please..." He lowered his voice, it was just a mere whisper now.

A haunting silence then ensued, creeping around the room.

' _Then show them...'_

At that, his eyes opened. He blinked a couple of times before looking back up at the shattered mirror.

' _Show them the truth...'_

He eyed the cracked image, the broken face which stared back at him for a few moments. Then, he left the bathroom in silence. Briefly exiting his apartment and walking away.

"I will..."

* * *

Night had taken hold of the world now, and rain fell to the ground. Mike stood afar off, his hooded jacket nearly drenched in water, but he never noticed. His hands were in his pockets as his eyes stuck to the scene before him.

He shuffled around, almost excited as he watched the fire rage through the building. Windows popped from the immense heat, and heavy, polluted smoke exited the building in large billows to rise in the night sky.

He watched intently as the flames ravaged through the building, the flames blackening and crumbling everything it touched. It was perfect.

The fire department had been dispatched, and they were attempting to drown the raging beast, but it would be hours before their efforts would do anything. Even with mother nature's help.

He could almost hear the screams, of the beings inside which caused so much ridicule, and torment towards him. No longer would they do so.

And for the first time, his lips creased into a smile. A smile never so filled with satisfaction. A satisfaction, and revenge he lusted so long for. The crackling of the fire, the screams of the dying, and the wail of the sirens were almost harmonic; music to his ears.

So, he spent the minutes enjoying the beauty of it. Then, when he had his fill, he began to walk away. Walking away as he left the pizzeria, being consumed by an unrelenting fire. Listening as the symphony continued on in the night.


End file.
